Tom
by gennflynn
Summary: The seventh year at Hogwarts has come for Tom Riddle. Now is the moment he makes his destiny.
1. Chapter 1

Tom. What a pathetic name, who would doom their own child to a life time of blending into a crowd, being normal, average, unspectacular; crushed into the limitations of the worlds most boring man. No, thought Tom Riddle, Not I. He was already on his way to becoming someone different, someone special.

"Tommy? Darling? Are you awake?"

He had forgotten she was there.

"Yes, Miss Welling, I am awake"

"Why so quiet then Tom? Am I boring you? And call me Kitty" whined the girl.

Despite her constant pleas for attention, she wasn't boring Tom, she didn't even register in his thoughts, she was insignificant to him, yet he had work to do. Tom turned to face her in the bed, she had made such an effort to impress him, her face was covered in what Tom assumed to be her mothers make up and she had tried to be so grown up about everything, it was pitiful, now she was watching him desperately.

"Miss Welling, you could never bore me, your company is more then any man could ever ask for, I count myself lucky to be near you."

Kitty grinned widely babbled about how Tom was far too charming and shouldn't lie to a "woman" like herself or she would think he was only here for to discuss business with "daddy", Tom creased his face into a shy smile and lowered his eyes, waiting for her to ask him -

"Tom, what's wrong?" simpered Kitty

"I'm just thinking about when I leave. My time spent with you is always bitter sweet, sweet because I get to spend time in the company of a woman beyond comprehensions definition of beauty, yet bitter, for all dreams must end" Kitty looked distraught over Tom's misfortune while he lay down against her. How could any girl possibly be so thick, she lacked beauty, intelligence, charm, anything that could be of use to a person - she was completely devoid of. To have all the power and money Kitty Welling possessed and be this unrefined was frankly embarrassing, yet being such a disappointment to her family made her an easy target. Tom released a long sad sigh and lifted himself from the stuffy, soft folds of Kitty's bed. He preferred hard beds and thin sheets, unsure why this was, he had just accepted it as a preference. He felt immediate relief when placing his feet on the cold hard timber flours of the Welling estate. Feeling the cold stiffening through is legs, he noticed Kitty was speaking again,

"-it's just a thought, Tom, you know, to lighten your load as _such_ a _poor _student, I know you only work for them during holidays, but daddy said that he has something valuable to them, but that he would _never_ give it up. But Tom, he doesn't know we are in_ love_ and if it will help you I'm _sure_ one day he will understand and I know how to get it for you… Tom?"

Kitty, seeing only the lean, pale back of her handsome Tom, missed the disgust on his face whilst she was making her over dramatic confession of love and riches. Tom hated her use of language and how she lent on words as if she said them in a louder moan they would mean more. Yet, rearranging his features to what he knew was a handsome mask of concern, now was not the time to be subtle with Kitty, she had given him an opportunity, he would take it.

"Could you? I get to little from work and I do not have enough to pay for housing, have no where to live but the orphanage I grew up in, please, Kitty?"

He had done it, he knew that use of her name would make her a blubbering fool when matched with his soppy story of misfortune, but it was worth it. Half an hour later, Tom riddle had left the Welling household having acquired more then just the innocence of their fourteen year old daughter, but the real prises of a goblin made shield, and chain shirt of armour made from unicorn tail hair both willingly given to him by Kitty. Dropping them off at his employers, Borgin and Burkes, he received a large payment and a slap on the back from the greasy and sweating Mr. Burke, as if that was a blessing of some sort.

Tom Riddle was tall for a sixteen year old, black hair and pale skin highlighted his delicate features and brought out the dark ring around his light grey irises, enchanting to look at, composed entirely of the shades between black and white, Tom looked like a heavy sky before a storm. It worked well for him, he could mould his features to suit his needs and still appear aesthetically pleasing. He had used his looks to exploit the Welling girl, and every one else for that matter. At this moment, a different man would be sick with guilt of his most recent conquest, yet, Tom wasn't. A heightened awareness of others emotional weaknesses and strengths, lead to Tom lacking any real emotions of for anyone but himself, isolating him from everyone else, this is how he liked it.

Tom Riddle was going to be someone different… someone special.


	2. Chapter 2

Waking to the sound of claws on glass, Tom opened his eyes and looked to the small, foggy window across the room. A fierce storm was raging outside, accompanied by a desperate looking owl. After watching it battle against the wind for a few minutes, Riddle rose from his bed and paced across the room to unlatched the window which the bird instantly collapsed through. Tom studied the package attached to the owls leg as it lay eerily still on the floor, it bore the Hogwarts crest and was thicker then usual. Turning back to the bleak morning he smiled to himself, the thickness of the letter indicated he had been made head boy. It was an unsurprising, yet pleasing end to his summer. Feeling the wind and rain spear his skin he stared back into the wind and felt a slight sense of relief, throughout the summer he had been hounded by Miss Kitty Welling to the extent he was almost regretting his business transaction, yet his payment from Borgin and Burke had been generous and if he had to cope with eager love letters from an injudicious child, he would. Hogwarts would provide him with the safe haven he craved, as Kitty would be at Beauxbatons. Closing the window, Tom turned back to his room. It was the last week he would ever have to spend trapped by these four walls; he would come of age in less then a month of starting the new school year. The orphanage had not been a cruel home, yet neither was it nourishing. The possibility for friendship or even a human connection between Riddle and the rest of the household had been stamped out despite being born and raised by the institution. Aware of the speculative fear of him that had spread among the children and staff, he was pleased to see that this summer no one had approached him, he simply used the house as a place to sleep and store belongings before he could leave to go home.

He couldn't wait to go home.

Hogwarts was home.

"Tom! Mr Riddle! Sir!" Tom turned from the carriage he was about to enter and waited for the younger boy to catch up to him. A tall, lean boy with uneven skin and white blonde hair fought down the Hogwarts Express corridor to his side.

"Yes Lucius? What do you want? I hope you don't expect to be using me as a substitute father figure again this year. Last year was pathetic, but held some entertainment for me, this year however, it will be tiresome and I care not how you will cope without my protection." A mean grin cut through Riddle's features as he saw the pain and embarrassment he caused the young Malfoy. Lucius was now a second year, having arrived at Hogwarts last year with a disgraced family name due to the indiscretions of his father, Romulus Malfoy, had been victim to indescribable cruelty from the Slytherin house he had the misfortune of being placed in. Tom had expressed his distaste in men being judged by their fathers in an equally cruel fashion toward the instigators of Lucius's suffering which had in turn earned him a servant-like follower within Lucius.

Malfoy regained his speech and managed to cough out through flushed cheeks "I got you a book" and thrust a black, leather bound diary with gold detailing toward Tom.

Looking upon the book, Riddles eyes flickered with shadows of desire; he had been meaning to document his achievements.

Snatching the book from Malfoy, Tom nodded at the boy. When he did not move, Riddle bluntly stated "I've taken your gift, now leave me, you are no use to me and have no purpose in my company", with this Malfoy scampered away down the train corridor, allowing Tom to continue into the Head's carriage. Sitting down in the seat nearest to him, he continued to study his new acquisition, flipping it over he found his name engraved into the bottom corner closest to the spine of the book. Cringing slightly at the sight he looked up to find who he assumed the new Head Girl to be, sitting directly opposite him. She had dark strawberry coloured hair and a fairly thickset jaw that took away from her rather kind eyes.

"Amelia Bones, Ravenclaw", the girl finally spat out. Tom smiled at this, Bones seemed to take it as positive reinforcement and relaxed in her seat, Riddle however was smiling at how easily she bowed to pressure. A blank stare was all that was needed to make her feel uncomfortable.

The rest of the journey passed in silence, Amelia continuously stealing glances at her handsome co-caption certain that there was a spark between them when he smiled at her shyly. Tom on the other hand was finding Amelia increasingly repellent, distracting himself by thinking of plans for the year, which he would be immortalising in print from now on.

Rounding a bend, the first glimpses of Hogwarts were seen. This year was going to define the futures of many.


End file.
